Thyago Ohana

I took my mom to Disneyland yesterday - what a magical day! I would not be exaggerating if I said it was one of the most amazing days of my life! And this is not really because we were in Disneyland, but rather because this experience allowed me to deliver best-in-class “customer” satisfaction to my one and only “key account”, my most loyal “client” and my single life-long “investor”: MY MOTHER!

Here’s the thing: I was born to a middle class single mom in the Amazon region in Brazil. Growing up, I witnessed her  struggle financially to conciliate the hardships of Brazil’s economic instability and the costs of investing in my future in an society where quality education was a luxury (...and sadly still is!)

In February this year, I spent my birthday in Disneyland with my partner. When we were there, in one of the phone calls with my mom, she said to me: “I am so happy you could give yourself this one thing I could not give you as a child.” - and she meant taking me to Disneyland, of course.

When I heard that, I immediately replied: “No, mom! This is not just me giving myself a gift. This is me enjoying the fruits of YOUR visionary leadership, YOUR right decisions and YOUR investments in OUR future. If anything, this is OUR merit, not just mine! I should be thankful to YOU for being here now!”

Shortly after, I decided to book this trip I am enjoying today and take my mom to Disneyland with me to make this childhood dream come true exactly the way we both wanted it to happen back in the days: together as mother and son!

My mother's Lesson on Success KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in Life

You know!? Like in many other families, my mom turned out to be my role model of leadership. She taught me a myriad of lessons I use every day in both my personal and professional lives. Among these lessons, there is a particularly valuable one I thought a lot about today: a lesson on how making people happy is a measurement of success. 

At the age of 34, I am very grateful for being where I am in life. I consider myself to be a successful man. And when I reflect on what my mom’s values on the subject are, I realise that my success is not really because of achievements collected, but rather because of this “success performance indicator” she taught me. In other words, because of the people I’ve been making happy along my journey. - What a fulfilling journey it’s been!

After this trip to Disneyland, I can say with utmost confidence that I have singled out my most valuable KPI to measure my (!) success at this point in life. This KPI is called “Making my Mother Happy”. And trust me! Seeing my mom’s smile yesterday felt like the 10th star in a 5-star happiness-level rating system.

What a day! Thanks, mom! Love you, mom!

PS: if you are reading this, and are lucky enough to have your mother and/or father still in your life today, I encourage you to give him/her/them a hug, a call or at least send a message saying how much you care. Like in business, delivering satisfaction is a “journey” that requires constant care.

Thanks for reading,

Love, Thyago